Plants have been grown hydroponically for decades. In a hydroponic system, generally, plants are grown using mineral nutrients in an aqueous environment and without the aid of a purely soil base. In such a system, the root system of the plants must remain in a sufficiently aqueous environment in order to survive. In contrast, in traditional geoponic horticulture, the nutrients and water are distributed in soil and the plant uses its root system to extract nutrients and water from the soil.
Hydroponic horticulture can be appreciably more labor intensive than traditional geoponics in that the plant does not have a base in which nutrients are naturally stored and from which those nutrients may be extracted. For a plant to survive, space must therefore be apportioned for the plant to grow a root system. In addition, nutrients, including water, must be added and maintained at appropriate levels, which generally requires significant human intervention. Further, issues of water and nutrient loss through plant absorbsion, evaporation, and run-off must be addressed.
Hydroponic horticulture often is carried out indoors. It is therefore advantageous to achieve horizontal space savings by affording a platform for concurrently growing multiple plants along a vertical structure. In addition, because of the indoor use, the hydroponic structure must be compatible with plant growth as well as be aesthetically pleasing.
In general, prior art hydroponic systems entail plantings elevated above a pond or river-like body of water with root systems extending into the water. The problems with these systems are multi-facetted, but each results in significant human effort and intervention. For example, algae growth can be an issue and can require cleaning of the water. In addition, many plants cannot survive if fully under water, so a supporting structure for the live matter must be constructed and the live matter must be attached to the supporting structure so as to permit growth. As the plants grow, the plants need to have their positions adjusted relative to the supporting structure so that they can continue to grow freely. These types of issues generally are dealt with through various labor intensive ways or mechanisms.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a hydroponic system which overcomes these disadvantages.